On paper, Penn State's bathroom facilities simply do not seem to stack up. The toiletry supply on-campus have caused many students to re-think their positions on fundamental human rights.

One serious problem concerns the inability of students living in residence halls to successfully dry their hands after bathroom usage due to a lack of drying equipment.

Sandra Harpster, assistant director of Housing and Food Services, confirmed earlier this week that no residence halls on-campus offer paper towel or any sort of drying device for student hand-drying purposes.

"You have to look at the cost, the waste, the unnecessary use (of paper towel), and students can go back to their rooms and dry their hands," Harpster said.

These reasons don't cut it for some angry and confused students. Steve Irvin (freshman-secondary education) is one of the pro paper-towelers.

"We're college students and we're being treated like kids. They spend money on things we can do without. They can't fork out a little extra so people can dry their hands?" questioned Irvin, who admittedly has had to use his keys to aid in the drying process.

Maggie O'Brien (sophomore-kinesiology) and others don't mind as much.

"I've gotten used to it. It might be weird or annoying but it's just a paper towel. It would be one thing if they didn't offer sinks or showers, but if you live in the residence halls you're close to towels anyway," O'Brien said.

Out of the 11 schools in the Big Ten Conference, eight supply some form of drying device in most circumstances. Only three, University of Iowa, University of Michigan and Penn State, refuse to supply residents with a means to drying their hands.

"It's an embarrassment," said Barret Lohr (junior-computer engineering) referring to Penn State's low ranking. "It seems strange that a major university wouldn't have paper towels," he said.

Perhaps it is strange, but even more far-reaching in its impact is the lack of quality toilet paper supplied in all campus bathrooms, not just residence halls.

In addition to the towel fiasco, Harpster also conceded this week that Penn State offers a thin, one-ply toilet paper for public usage.

Bathroom paper connoisseur Nicholas Talotta (sophomore-information sciences and technology) gives a breakdown of the substance currently presented in the lavatories.

"It's pretty painful and it rips easily. It dissolves when it comes into contact with water."

This is too much for toiletry activist Irvin to take. "Good toilet paper is a must and the product here is lacking. It's not like it is at home," he said with a sigh.

Most students seem to accept the literally rough situation forced upon them. Some, on the other hand, hint at conspiracy.

A few students claimed that Simmons Hall features paper towels and more comfortable wiping mechanisms in residence bathrooms.

"What a coincidence," said Lohr. "There's a lot of bias with the honors kids," he said, noting that he "didn't know the details," but was certainly suspicious.

Harpster categorically denied these allegations.

When it comes down to it though, it's clear that most, if not all, bathrooms on campus don't offer the amenities many expect, and this presents an image problem for Penn State.

"For anyone coming to visit and not having a paper towel and not having good toilet paper . . . that's two strikes right there," said Irvin. He pointed out that it might get people wondering about what else is wrong with Penn State.

"It definitely shows that the emphasis here is not on students' comfort," said Jessie Bright (freshman-biology).

"If I had seen my living conditions prior to coming here I don't think I would have come."

Perhaps someday Penn State will offer some compassion and make available better paper products, and in doing so wipe the slate clean.